Beyond the Sun is a space civilization game where players collectively decide the technological progress of humankind at the dawn of the Spacefaring Era, while competing against each other to be the leading faction in economic development, science, and galactic influence.

The game is played over a variable number of rounds until a number of game-end achievements are collectively claimed by the players. The winner is the faction with the most Victory Points, which are obtained by researching technologies, improving their economy, controlling and colonizing systems, and through various achievements and events throughout the game.