SETI scoring happens throughout play and once more after round five. Orbiters, landers, sector wins, cards, missions, technologies and aliens can grant points during the game. The final score then adds played cards with gold end-game boxes, the chosen gold scoring tiles and any alien-specific final step. This page covers the base game; Space Agencies can add component-specific effects.
When does final scoring happen?
The game ends after five rounds, once the last player has passed in round five. First score the gold-box end-game effects on cards you played, then any end-game scoring required by the discovered alien species, and score your gold scoring tiles. Follow the order or special instruction on a species rule sheet if it changes the process.
Gold scoring tiles reward sets
Each gold tile has two sides; the side in play tells you what to count. For each complete set, gain the point value indicated by your marker on that tile. Read the specific tile before you count. The official rulebook shows these types:
- Technology: sets of one tech of each type, or pairs of techs, depending on the tile side.
- Missions and scoring cards: completed missions, or pairs made from completed missions and played end-game scoring cards.
- Income: sets of tucked income cards of different types, or the relevant credit/energy income type. Do not count the printed starting income as tucked cards.
- Other: sets of three life traces, one of each color, or sector wins paired with orbiters/landers, depending on the side.
Worked gold-tile examples
If the tech tile rewards one set of each type and you have three techs of one type, two of another and one of the third, you have one complete set. Score the tile’s shown points once. On the alternative side that rewards pairs of techs, six techs make three pairs. Count the tile side actually chosen, not both.
If the missions/scoring-card tile rewards pairs and you have three completed missions plus one played end-game scoring card, you have two pairs. An uncompleted mission does not count as a completed one. CGE’s FAQ confirms that a played end-game card can count for the pair even if its own gold-box effect scored zero points.
How do alien discoveries affect scoring?
Two face-down species are discovered during play by filling their three discovery spaces with life traces. Their rule sheets can add research rewards and a final scoring step. Check the two species actually revealed; do not assume the five possible species score alike. Overflow life traces still count for the gold tile that asks for one trace of each color, as the rulebook specifies.
Do leftover resources score?
There is no general final conversion of unused credits, energy, publicity, cards or ordinary data into points. They matter if a played scoring card, gold tile or alien effect explicitly counts them. Use the final turns to convert them into completed missions, techs, sectors, orbiters/landers or the exact set your tile rewards.
End-of-game checklist
- Finish round five after all players pass.
- Read every played card with a gold end-game box and add its points.
- Resolve any final scoring written on the revealed alien rule sheets.
- For each gold tile, identify its active side, count complete sets and multiply by the points shown by your marker.
- Compare total VP. The base-game rulebook leaves tied highest scores as a tie.
More SETI guides
Sources and scope
Checked September 2026 against the official SETI rulebook, player aid and CGE FAQ. This is the base-game scoring procedure; printed alien and expansion rules may add exceptions.