From the source rules
Who goes first in Subatomic: An Atom Building Game?
English rulebook linked from Genius Games’ second-edition page

The person who did a science experiment most recently goes first.
Rule details
Give that player the First Player Marker. They take the first turn, then turns continue clockwise.
A turn consists of playing cards for actions, followed by refreshing the play areas.
Source & edition
- Subatomic: An Atom Building Game: Genius Games rulesGenius Games · Cover; Game Setup; Gameplay: Summary of a Turn; Ending the Game; credits; back cover · Checked 2026-09-23Printed page references: 2, 3, 4, 9, 14Cited PDF pages: 1, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 16
Image: © Genius Games · Genius Games
If there’s a tie
The rulebook doesn’t say.
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