From the back cover: "Two hundred years in the future, Earth is a deadly wasteland, ravaged by nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. Humanity lives in exile, clinging to life on a multitude of space stations in the Solar System. These stations are the High Colonies, the last hope of mankind. "High Colonies is a role-playing game set in 2188. Players assume the rules of men and women struggling to succeed in a dangerous society. They face threats from alien creatures, bio-engineered renegade soldiers, fanatical tyrants and desperate pirates. Only the bold will survive. "High Colonies is an easy to learn, playable and realistic game. Everything from character generation, to rules for robots, is designed to maximize ease of play without sacrificing realism. "High Colonies includes extensive background material as well as a detailed future history. This provides a fascinating environment for players to explore, and gamemasters can be sure that they are dealing with a consistent and intelligently planned science-fantasy world. "Also included is `Hard Times at Lyric 3,' a ready to run adventure scenario that enables you to begin playing High Colonies almost immediately."