Chaosmos uses an open-world exploration system called “area-caching.” There is no draw deck; all the cards are distributed amongst the players’ hands and planet envelopes. The Chaos Clock counts down clockwise from 48 (36 for a shorter game), and each player’s turn brings the Chaos Clock one step closer to zero.

• Players have a 3 action turn which they use to move around stars and planets
• Each planet has a corresponding envelope that contains the equipment cards that are on that planet
• Players land on planets to exchange cards and battle other players for control
• Players manage their hand and the caches of cards on planets
• Players attempt to obtain the Ovoid card and hold it or hide it on a planet to recover later
• Weapon cards have corresponding counters that reflect damage, so players must adapt to their opponents’ strategies