Orbital is a space exploration game where players cruise around the galaxy with the aid of an Orbital Drive, which converts inertia/momentum into power for launching and consequently slinging around space. Players manage crew actions and resources to travel, discover new worlds and find secret missions. The "space" in which Orbital takes place is free form (no board). Using a simple measurement system, players place new planets after assigning their science officer to scan for them. Planets bring with them their own dangers, as do space anomalies and the occasional heap of space junk.