Unsettled® Action Trackers: Setup and Gameplay Tips

Quick answer

Set up your Unsettled® action trackers before you place any planet tiles: give each player their tracker, place the matching markers on the starting spaces, and confirm the turn order. During play, move markers only after an action is fully resolved, and reset them at the start of each round. This keeps the table honest and avoids the most common tracking mistakes.

Unsettled® asks you to manage a lot at once: planet rules, player powers, and a shrinking pool of actions each round. The action trackers are the quiet workhorse that keeps all of that from collapsing into arguments about who did what. Get them right at setup and the rest of the game runs noticeably smoother.

This guide walks through an ordered setup and gameplay process for the trackers, with a checkpoint at each step. It assumes you already own the Unsettled® Framework, since the planet expansions require it for play. If you are still deciding which planet to add next, the tracker routine is identical no matter which world you choose.

What the action trackers actually do

The action trackers are the physical record of how many actions each player has left in a round. They are not a scoreboard and they are not a turn-order marker. Treating them as either is the fastest way to lose track of a round.

Because every planet in Unsettled® changes what actions are available, the tracker is the one component that stays constant. That makes it the best place to build your table habits: if the tracker is correct, you can always reconstruct the round even after a rules question interrupts play.

• Keep trackers in the same seat position every game so players build muscle memory.
• If a rulebook or planet card changes your action count, adjust the tracker immediately rather than at end of turn.

Setup order that prevents first-round confusion

Set up the trackers before you lay out planet tiles or deal starting resources. Doing it first means every player can see their available actions while you explain the planet's rules, which cuts down on the 'wait, how many actions do I get?' pause that stalls most first rounds.

Once trackers are placed, do a single visible count-out loud, around the table. This takes ten seconds and catches the most common setup error: one player starting with an extra or missing marker.

• Place markers on the starting spaces, not beside the tracker, so a bumped table does not silently reset anyone.
• Announce the turn order after trackers are set, not before, so players associate their tracker with their seat.

Using trackers during a round

Move a marker only after an action is fully resolved, including any card draws or planet effects it triggers. Moving early is the single most common tracker mistake, because an interrupted action often changes what you actually spent.

When a planet effect grants or removes actions, apply it to the tracker in front of the whole table. Unsettled® planets like Kaélyfos and Yendraal both push players into unusual situations, and a public adjustment keeps everyone's mental math aligned.

• If you are unsure whether an action was spent, check the tracker before touching any other component.
• Never move another player's marker for them unless they ask; it breaks the table's trust in the tracker.

Resetting between rounds

At the end of a round, reset every tracker to its starting value at the same time, out loud. Simultaneous resets prevent the drift that happens when players reset individually at different moments.

If your group plays with a house rule that carries actions over, write it down and apply it at reset, not mid-round. House rules that live only in memory are the main reason trackers stop matching reality in longer sessions.

• Do the reset before anyone starts planning their next round.
• If a tracker looks wrong, fix it at reset rather than trying to reconstruct the previous round.

Tracker setup and play: step by step

1. 1. Give every player their tracker: Hand out one tracker per player and seat it in front of them before any planet tiles or cards hit the table. Checkpoint: every seat has exactly one tracker and no extras are loose on the table.
2. 2. Place markers on starting spaces: Put the markers directly on the starting spaces rather than beside the tracker so a bump does not silently change your action count. Checkpoint: count markers aloud around the table once.
3. 3. Confirm turn order after trackers are set: Announce turn order only once trackers are in place, so each player links their tracker to their seat in the rotation. Checkpoint: the first player can state their remaining actions without checking the rulebook.
4. 4. Spend actions in full before moving markers: Resolve the entire action, including any triggered planet or card effects, then move the marker down by one. Common mistake: moving the marker first and then discovering the action changed.
5. 5. Adjust publicly when planet effects change actions: If a planet grants or removes actions, change the tracker where everyone can see it and say the new total out loud. Checkpoint: no player is privately adjusting their own tracker mid-round.
6. 6. Reset all trackers together at end of round: Reset every tracker to its starting value at the same moment, before anyone begins planning the next round. Checkpoint: if a tracker looks wrong, fix it now rather than reconstructing the previous round.

Planets and extras that pair with tracker play

• Unsettled® Planet 006: Kaélyfos: Kaélyfos is the massive severed head of an ancient celestial being, and initial scans indicate abundant parasitic blood-hungry lifeforms that are likely to provide a robust exercise regimen. On a planet this aggressive, action economy matters more than ever; expect to spend actions reacting, so keep your tracker visible and update it the moment a threat resolves.
• Unsettled® Planet 004: Yendraal: Yendraal is a planet-sized mass of sentient coral that is prone to opinion on your activities, and a strange new type of diplomacy will be required. The Unsettled® Framework is required for play. Diplomacy-heavy planets add reaction steps between your actions; trackers help you confirm whether a diplomatic response costs an action before you commit.
• Vindication® Overgrowth Card Pack (2022): Adds 15 leafy new cards with a deep forest theme. Vindication® Base Game required for play. If your group rotates between Unsettled® and Vindication®, the same table habits apply: track what you have spent before you add new cards to the table.

Action trackers are not glamorous, but they are the component that keeps Unsettled® honest. Set them up first, move markers only after actions resolve, and reset together at the end of each round. Do that, and your table spends its time exploring strange worlds instead of arguing about who spent what.