Your villagers run themselves. Each one picks the most useful job from what the town is short of, gets better at what they do, and looks after their own thirst, hunger and sleep. Your job is the mayor's:
🏠 Build from the bar below: housing (beds let the town grow), fields, workshops and storehouses. Put stores next to the work: every load is carried to the nearest one.
📦 Steer in the Town tab: stock targets, 🔥 urgent, a population target, decrees and festivals. ⭐ an upgrade or research to have it done first.
💡 The Advisor tells you what holds the town back. 💧 Water matters most: thirst kills fastest.
📅 A season is 90 days (6 hours of play at 1×; the speed button goes to 2× and 4×). From day 80 one Ascension Gate can be built in the whole universe: hold it 3 days to win. Otherwise the best empire score wins (🎯 Goals).
Click a villager or building to look closer and keep it in view. V opens all villagers, 1–9 pick tools, Q/E switch building groups, Esc puts a tool down. Take control: WASD and hold Space to work.
Your last planet has fallen, or every villager has died and there is nothing left to invite more with.
Survivors can start over in a new galaxy further out than anyone, with the research and tools you had, protected from attack for a while.