Cooperative mode:
The goal is to not let the inspector reach 13 more than one time, else you will have very few times to get 8 tentacles. To do that, you want to focus one color early on, reaching 13 pretty early (even without synergies having 8/8 of that ressource, gaining +3 of that ressource, and discarding two cards of the color is enough). Once you did that, you can keep one or two cards of that color on the row which will just make the inspector goes much slower to reach 13 on others colors.
When playing solo, you want to have a plan. Usually with the starting you have two main possibilities: - either you can do nothing good with your hand, and your goal will be to plan carefully your first color to be around 8~12 when you get the forbidden knowledge. - or either you play for a slower game, if you got a way to generate more ressources that's usually really good to play it and then do that color first. If you got some yellow card which make you win a ressource (or worst make you draw), you could play them, and so decide do that color later on, since after you will get your first forbidden knowledge that effect will happen twice, and after your second forbidden knowledge, that will happen twice again. If the card give you +3 black, you will generate +12 black that way.
The red card which give you a boost of ressources of +5 or +8 are great to use right before taking the knowledge token. The red card in first contract can give an extra +1 above 8 to get a forbidden knowledge. The black card which reduces the cost of a color can be good if you got too much black, if you need one or two extra ressource of one type (above 8), or if you can use multiples cards with that effect. I would advise (even if I need to try them more) to not play around green cards much. With the red card on the first contract, that can help a lot to do one green, or if your plan of moves goes directly to one green. But you will need to plan two greens, and that let you have one color you could ignore. You still want to get the forbidden knowledge of the three others colors.
Don't be scared of using multiples turns to get some +3, to discard sometimes 4 cards to get your forbidden knowledge. Controlling the ressources the inspector gain is primordial: you want to be safe even if the top card of the deck is the worst color you expect.
Try to have a plan. Per example if you have a red card which add +8 yellow, then you know you will most likely do your yellow with it, which mean you either want to do yellow immediately and keep yellow cards on the row, or you want to keep that card for later, and when yellow will goes too high, you can get the yellow forbidden knowledge. Knowing which one of the two to goes for depend mainly of the color of the cards on the row, and the layout of the board, if you can get yellows easily or not. Then, you want to choose your first color which depend mainly of the layout, the color of the card in the row visible, and the amount of cards of each color you got. And then sometimes you want to carefully count your turn until you will get your first forbidden knowledge. You want at best to be at 11~12 when you do it (or don't waste any ressource moving).
Competitive Mode
- Please note, this is not a 'how to play' guide and does not teach the basics. It assumes that the reader knows how to play the game.
- Context ###
This advice is primarily for a 2 player game taking place on a standard 3*3 grid, with no portals, and with random starting cards.
- Forbidden Knowledge ###
In the early game, without an extensive engine setup, this is the quickest way to achieve the greatest amount of tencticles. If you aren't aiming to get Forbidden Knowledge, and your appointment is, the game is already over. A player who even stops their opponent from getting one type of Forbidden Knowledge stands a chance at winning, but getting two types, changes the dynamic of the game from 'racing to achieve Forbidden Knowledge' to 'who has set up a decent engine' or 'who has stockpiled the most Hallucination (red) instant tencticles'. If you just try and rush Forbidden Knowledge by selecting the +3 resource tiles, using the +8 Hallucination cards, and posting with cards from your hand, you better hope that your opponent doesn't have a means of jumping in on that race. If they do gain Forbidden Knowledge, you may be in for a very slow mid-late game with the chance of your opposition coming back to win.
With that in mind, if you notice your opponent trying to rush Forbidden Knowledge, contesting them puts pressure on them to over-commit and not set up an engine or allow you to take it from them.
Obviously, the +8 Hallucination cards are the most immediate way of getting Forbidden Knowledge and if an opponent starts with the yellow, black or green +8 in hand, you won't know until they use it. So have a contingency plan that will let you pivot to another colour Forbidden Knowledge as soon a possible.
Pro Tip: if you secretly hold a non-red +8 Hallucination card in your hand, set yourself up to be able to take that type of Forbidden Knowledge but pull the trigger only when your opponent has spent resources trying to commit to it, eg. Wait for them to start chasing the same Forbidden Knowledge, allow for them to repeatedly choose the +3 tile or placing down ritual or relic cards towards achieving it. That way they've spent turns trying to achieve something with no immediate reward awaiting them. If they aren't going for the Forbidden Knowledge you have the +8 Hallucination card for, set yourself up to get it in one turn (eg. 5 of that colour resource plus resources to pay for the +8 card) and then contest their Forbidden Knowledge or go for another.
TLDR: go for Forbidden Knowledge, even if it's just to prevent your opening getting them all, but plan for post-Forbidden Knowledge game.
- Steer towards ###
The Hallucination First Contact card is the best choice, in my opinion. Mid-late game, many players will have an excess of resources rendering the Relic First Contact card's movement discount useless. The Hallucination First Contact card can be used to complete a Constellation card in one turn (including it's resource bonus), help complete Forbidden Knowledge when you fall that one resource short, and, when desperate, can give you an instant +4 resources when fighting for positional dominance.
Get a Relic engine setup before completing Constellations so that you can get down and complete many Constellation cards at once. It's more move efficient.
A Ritual card setup that reduces the cost of Hallucination cards (first preference) or Relic cards (second preference or early game preference) is ideal. This will help you get out Hallucination cards quickly and easily mid-late game where their effects are more likely to be multiplied by whatever engine you have setup or where you can chain one Hallucination card after another (lightening symbol).
Get an early +3 resources-when-gaining-a-tencticle-Relic card before getting Forbidden Knowledge. Timed well, this can lead you to cascade one Forbidden Knowledge into another into another. These also allow for snowballing one completed Constellation card into another and another. Keep an eye out for the Hallucination cards that let you pay to place out any card in your hand or a relic card from the card row (Without an engine setup towards getting Relics out, these cards can be hard to get out quickly and won't be worth the time they take otherwise).
- Steer away from ###
Playing a +1 Tentacle Hallucination card or playing any Constellation card that's more expensive than the minimum 3+2 resources before establishing some sort of engine. These are too expensive early game and you're better off spending your actions on racing towards securing Forbidden Knowledge. I personally stand by this even it would mean you have to forfeit first choice of the First Contact cards. Additionally, keeping the +1 Tentacle Hallucination card in your hand until you're on your last couple of tencticles can give you an element of surprise and will prevent your opponent from countering your moves. Furthermore, it can be used as a means to gain positional advantage in the area control battle (for example, you and your opponent are racing toward achieving the red Forbidden Knowledge but they have advantage of having just chosen the +3 Hallucination Inky Realm tile. Having the extra movement will give you control of that tile preventing your opponent from choosing it). By extension, it also acts as another means to gain an extra movement (if you have achieved Forbidden Knowledge) which case let you use your turn more efficiently when filling in constellations, selecting powerful cards from the card row, or gaining a second round of resources.
Getting out more than 5 resource discount from your Ritual cards for one particular type of resource. Beyond that is overkill, in my opinion.
Getting out any Constellation card that isn't the cheap '3 plus 2 resources' cards, or Hallucination cards that add an instant tencticle. Without an engine, Relic or Ritual card setup, to reduce or efficiently cover the cost, these cards aren't move or resource efficient early game.
Getting out more than 2 auto-fill resource Relic cards. This isn't gospel, but even with Ritual cards to reduce the cost of the Relic cards in place, you still need to efficiently get out Constellation cards, another Ritual card setup. By the time you get out the auto-fill Relic cards and setup an engine that lets you get down Constellations efficiently, your opponent is likely to have secured multiple types of Forbidden Knowledge. That being said, I usually make a point of preventing my opponent from being able to get more than one down because, if the previously described setup is achieved, it can be devastating in the post-Forbidden Knowledge game (provided that Forbidden Knowledge has been shared between players, resulting in both players needing to get 4 more tencticles).
