Update (11/20): Due to popular demand we are creating a solo mode for the game and there will be a Solo Story Campaigns Book included as a comic book with at least 10 solo scenarios.
Stan Lee's Genesis takes to the stars in the Space Cadets Expansion Set with 30 new characters that are out of this world! Galactic Gods, Smarmy Smugglers, Alien Invaders, and even Space Pirates arrrr all here to expand your universes and add even more events, plots and locations that will take to you infinity and beyond!
The magic is back with The Sorcerer's Circle Expansion Set! With 30 all-new Whimsical Wizards, Undead Uglies, and Legends of Folklore for you to add to your universe, you'll be ready for even the most violent rabbit attacks and zombie infestations!
A hero is only as good as their villain! And with the Scum & Villainy Expansion Set you'll get 30 of the worst of them - Prison Pals, Crime Syndicates, and Rouge's Galleries are all here along with even more Event, Plot, Action, and Location cards to hammer those heroes!
In STAN LEE’S GENESIS, players must harness their creative energy to give birth to a unique universe. Genesis is intended to put the power of creation into the hands of the players and honor the legacy of Stan’s brilliance as one of the preeminent creative forces of the 20th century. Every game is different as players both compete and collaborate as they construct a comic book universe full of heroes, villains, super teams, evil syndicates, galactic threats, and all-encompassing cross over events!
In this tile building game, players each create their own universe using a system of resources that represent the building blocks of creative storytelling, consisting of Spark, Energy, Motivation, Conflict, and Empathy.
Players initially build from their own terrain, beginning with their nexus tile. But as the game progresses players will link their terrain to create a larger play area. Each player continues to build the universe through resources and card assets, adding various elements including:
When these elements intersect, they result in conflicts that will be resolved through card mechanics.
The first player to reach Amazing on their Power Meter wins the game. Power is gained by introducing characters into the universe, completing certain plots and events, and winning combats.
Set the main nexus tile in the center of the table. Each player then selects their own nexus (the colored clusters on the main tile. For 2 players, players should select nexuses that are opposite each other. For 3 players, players should select nexuses that each skip one. For four players no more than 2 players should be in adjacent nexuses.
Shuffle the Character deck and the Event deck (which consists of all Event, Plot, Action, and Location cards) and place them in 2 piles.
Place the Resource gems in 5 piles.
All terrain tiles should be shuffled face down and each player given an even stack of them. These tiles are communal - if for any reason a player should run out of tiles and other players have tiles in their stack they may draw from another player’s stack.
Place the Great Responsibility tokens, Alignment tokens, and Location tiles in stacks within reach.
Have all standees and plastic stands within reach.
Players start with (1) of each resource and then draw (3) Character cards. Cards are not revealed to other players until they are entered into the game.
Character Cards
There are 100 Characters in Stan Lee’s Genesis. Players begin the game with (3) character cards and use resources to put them into play. Each character has: 1) an alignment, 2) special abilities, 3) a team type, 4) a story era, and 5) a power value. (see Anatomy of a Character).
Character Standees
When a character is put into play from a player’s hand, they must place the matching character standee onto the center of their nexus or immediately adjacent to it if it’s occupied.
Event Cards
There are 70 Event Cards in Stan Lee's Genesis. Event cards consist of Locations, Global Events, Plots, and Actions (see Gameplay below).
Dice
There are 3 dice included in the game. The 4-sided die is used to determine your 2nd action each turn. The 6-sided dice are used for movement, combat, and other card mechanics.
Nexus Tile
The Nexus tile is the center of the game. There is a central nexus surrounded by 6 individually colored nexuses - one for each player for up to 6 players.
Tiles
Included in the game are 40 Resource tiles, 5 Wormholes, 5 Voids, and 75 Terrain tiles. These tiles each have 3 movement spaces on them, with the exception of Voids, which can not be crossed.
Turn Overview
Pick a player to start. Players take turns in a clockwise direction unless otherwise indicated on a card.
On each turn a player MUST first draw and place a terrain tile and then roll both dice. Terrain tiles must be placed adjacent to the player’s nexus and can build outward from there. If the tile is a resource tile the player should take one of that resource.
The game die has 4 outcomes:
(1) Draw an Event card
(2) Draw a Character card
(3) Place an extra hex tile
(4) Pick 1 Resource
If the player draws an Event card they must follow the instructions on it. Events, Plots, and Locations must be played immediately. Action cards may be held and used when needed, but must be played on the player’s turn unless otherwise indicated on the card.
If the player draws a Character card they should place it into their hand with their other characters.
The d6 is for Movement.
After the player has rolled the dice and completes the action indicated on the game die, they may do any of the following, in any order:
At the end of the turn the player will tally any Power earned and adjust their Power score. If the player has any Great Responsibility tokens (see below) they must spend them now.
The player may allocate the number of movement points rolled among their characters in any way they see fit.
When a character is immediately adjacent to another character on the map they may initiate combat. To resolve combat, each player rolls 1d6 and adds it to the power score for their character, taking into account any bonuses or other factors based on their special abilities or the location. The higher number wins. If the attacker wins they may either steal a resource of their choice from the defeated player, stun the losing character for one turn, or gain 1 Power. If the defeated player has no resources they are stunned by default. If the defender wins, the attacker is bounced back to their nexus. A tie is a draw.
There are 5 ways players can generate resources:
In Stan Lee’s Genesis, when a player’s Power rating is 15 or higher, they have achieved Great Power, and with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. Players collect (1) Great Responsibility token each turn that have 15 or more Power.
Responsibility tokens must be spent at the end of each turn. The player will choose one of the following for ALL other players:
During each turn a player may offer to make trades with any other player. Players may trade any resource or any card they have in their hand. Only the player whose turn it is can initiate a trade. There is no limit to the number of trades a player may make on their turn.
Every character has 6 key characteristics:
Resource requirements: The Resource gems that are required to put the character into the game.
Alignment: Characters all have an inherent alignment – Hero, Evil-doer, or Neutral. Alignments will come into play throughout the game and can be changed by certain events.
As an alternate rule, players may assign characters any alignment they choose when they put them into play. Players are, after all, creating their own universe. Once an alignment is chosen it may not be changed unless dictated by a card or event during gameplay
Special Abilities: Every character has one or more special abilities that can be used as described once they are in play. Each character’s special ability and how they work are on their card as well as in the rule book.
Team Type: Each character has a team archetype. During the course of the game there will be events, plots, actions, locations, and character special abilities that are related to their Team Type.
Story Era: This is the era of comics that the character is from. Eras can come into play during certain events, plots, and actions.
Power Value: This is the number of Power points a player receives for putting this character into play and their base value for combat.
There are 190 playable characters in the 4 sets (100 in the core box and 30 in each expansion). Here are examples of several of our favorites from different eras, alignments, and team types!
Get 1 copy of Stan Lee's Genesis (Core Game)!
Includes all unlocked stretch goal rewards!
Get 1 copy of Stan Lee's Genesis (Core Game) bundled with all 3 Expansion Sets (Space Cadets, The Sorcerer's Circle, and Scum & Villainy).
Each Expansion Set is $25 as an individual add-on, so at this price backers get all 3 for the price of only 2!
Also includes all unlocked stretch goal rewards!
Verified retailers can get 5 copies of Stan Lee's Genesis (Core Game)! Includes free shipping for retailers within the United States.
Share your email, we will send you an invite!
If you're already have a PledgeManager account from another project, just sign in using the button below to join the project.