Age of the Moon

From BoardGameGeek:

Age of the Moon is a competitive strategy game set during the New Space Race, where players take on the role of leaders striving to build the first fully operational, habitable lunar base. Each player must balance resources, infrastructure, and alliances to establish their presence on the Moon. With a focus on the Lunar South Pole's abundant resources, players navigate between collaboration, competition, and strategic planning to outmaneuver their rivals. The game is played in rounds, each consisting of several phases that bring players closer to completing their lunar base. On their turn, players receive Lunars (the game's currency) to expand operations by purchasing assets like power plants, greenhouses, and rovers, as well as rockets to transport them to the Moon. Players can negotiate with one another, forming alliances or creating conflicts using negotiation cards. They then launch their rockets, facing the risks of space travel, including mission failures, determined by dice rolls. Once assets are deployed on the Moon, players gather resources and operate their infrastructure. Managing production and operating costs is key to progress, though even well-laid plans can be disrupted by unexpected events at the end of each round. Additionally, players earn International Community Points (ICP) through cooperation, adding a diplomatic layer to the competition. The game ends when a player successfully builds and operates all four core modules of a habitable lunar base. The unique feature of Age of the Moon is its realistic scenarios based on expert research and future projections. Players must balance technological development, resource allocation, and diplomacy, making it a strategic and educational experience. -description from designer