These are the rules for the game Space Zoo (v0.3). This is an attempt to design a worker placement mechanic with simultaneously chosen actions.

Game content

1 Game board

1 1st player token

3 stock market markers

1 phase marker token

X Planet cards

X Research cards

X Phase selection cards

X Coin tokens (referred to as € in the rules)

X animal tokens

X camp tokens (10 per player)

X ore tokens

Scope of game

The game is played over several turns. Each turn is divided into phases where each phase corresponds to actions such as Research, Space exploration, Establishment of trade routes, and Shipment of extraterrestrial animals. The game is won when one player has 15 victory points in the end of a turn.

Before you start

Give the 1st player marker to a randomly chosen person. The player to the left of him is considered to be the 2nd player and so on. Give 1€ to the 1st player, 2€ to the second player and 4€ to each other player. Furthermore, give 3 ore and 1 camp to each player. Give one additional camp to the fourth player. Shuffle all the black Research cards and put them in a pile. Take the Research card with blue backs and shuffle them. Put one blue backed research card in each research positions (the numbered boxes in the upper side of the board). Randomly draw one Planet card per player card and put them face up next to the board. Put one € less than the number of players in the Funding box on the board. Put 1 ore token per player in the Mining box.

Winning the game

In this game victory points comes in three flavors: Trade route points, Research points and Money points. A player has one trade route point per camp they have on a planet. A player has one research point per Research card marked with a blue dot. A player has one Money point for every third coin that player possesses.

The victory point of a player is the sum of these points. In the end of each turn, if a player has 10 or more points that player is the winner. Use the number of ore tokens as tie breaker.

Turn sequence

The game is divided into several turns, which are divided into 8 phases. Each phase is played in this order:

1. Action selection phase

2. Funding phase

3. Research phase

4. Build camp phase

5. Expand phase

6. Establish trade routes phase

7. Selling animals phase

8. Mining phase

A phase marker token is used to show at what phase the turn is currently in. When one phase is executed the phase marker is moved to the next phase (following the arrows on the board).

After phase 7 each player declares their current amount of victory points. If there is no winner (no one has 10 or more victory points) a new turn is initialized. In the case of a tie the player with the most ore tokens wins.

0. Action selection phase

Each player simultaneously chooses one phase card from their current set of action cards. Each card corresponds to a phase in the turn.

1. Funding phase

If not selected

If no one chose the funding card in the action selection phase: place 1 € per player and subtract one in the funding phase box on the game board. E.g. if there are three players 2€ should be added to the funding box.

If selected

Each player that chose the funding card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc. Note which of the phase participants that are first in turn order. Put the 1st player token in the funding phase box. In turn order, each participant must choose to take 1 € from the funding phase box (if any) or take the 1st player token (if any). Continue in turn order among all participants until the funding phase box is empty of tokens (both 1st player token and € tokens).

Put all action cards with funding on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the funding phase box.

2. Research phase

If not selected

Remove the research card in the 1 € position (if any). Take the research card in the lowest valued box and put it in the 1 € position. Take the second lowest valued card and put it into 2 € position. Repeat until all cards are placed on the lower valued side of the game board. Now take a new card from the top of the Research card pile and put it in the lowest valued free position. Repeat until all research card positions are filled.

If selected

Each player that chose the Research card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc. Note which of the phase participants that are next in turn order. The participant next in turn order is allowed to buy one research card for the cost written on the board in the position of the research card. Repeat until every participant either has bought one research card or passed. Note that this will leave empty positions on the research track.

Put all action cards with research on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the research phase box.

3. Build camp phase

If not selected

Nothing happens.

If selected

Each player that chose the Build camp card in the action selection phase is allowed to purchase one camp. Each participant is allowed to exchange 3 ore tokens from their supply to a camp from the bank.

Put all action cards with build camp on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the build camp phase box.

4. Expand phase

If not selected

Put a new Planet card from the top of the Planet card deck next to the board. This Planet card is now considered available.

If selected

Each player that chose the expand card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc.

In turn order, each participant may place all camps from their supply on available Planet cards without other players camp tokens already on them.
Put all action cards with expand on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the expand phase box.

5. Establish trade routes phase

If not selected

No effect.

If selected

Each player that chose the trade route card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc.

In turn order, each participant is allowed to place one of their built camps from their supply on one of the available Planet cards that already has another player’s camp on it. However, to be allowed to do this the participants must pay 2€ to those players that already have their camps on that planet card. If more than one player have their camps on the planet card, this payment must be done to each player, e.g. the cost is doubled if there are two camps already on the planet card.

Put all action cards with trade route on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the establish trade routes phase box.

6. Sell animals phase

If not selected

Move each market token up one step less than the number of players.

If selected

Each player that chose the sell animals card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc. Note which of the phase participants that are next in turn order.

In turn order, each player is allowed to remove one animal token from one of the planets where that player has a camp token. Each planet card has one animal on them with at least one of the following properties: grass eater, meat eater, and funky. Look at the positions of the market token. These indicate how much each animal property is valued. If an animal has two properties the values are combined. Combined grass and meat eaters add the numbers of the two markets (grass and meat) together and funky grass eaters multiply the values of the grass market with the funky market. Funky meat eaters multiply the funky market’s value with that of the meat market. The player receives that market value in € from the bank. For each property the sold animal had, move the corresponding market token down one step.

If an animal type has either the aggressive or the psychic ability, a player can only move animal tokens from that planet card if they have prepared their ship with the proper equipment. To be able to sell aggressive animals you must have bought the Research card Cage. To be able to sell psychic animals you must have bought the Research card Psychic shield.

Put all action cards with sell animals on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the sell animals phase box.

7. Mining phase

If not selected

Add one ore token less than the number of players in this box.

If selected

Each player that chose the mining card in the action selection phase will be participants of this phase. The player with the 1st player token is considered the 1st player in order. The player to the left of the 1st player is 2nd in order etc.

In turn order, each participant must take 1 ore token. Continue in turn order among all participants until the funding phase box is empty of ore tokens. Put all action cards with mining on them from all players (even non-participants) and put them face down in the mining phase box.

--- Edited rules 05/07/15 ---

The starting conditions were altered. Current version is 0.3

--- Edited rules 04/22/15 ---

The rules have been updated after several play tests with three players. Current version is 0.2