Ask Zandar Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Contents
• The First Time You Play
• Set Up the Game
• How to Play
  • Step 1. Draw a card.
  • Step 2. Guess how Zandar will answer.
  • Step 3. Ask Zandar!
  • Step 4. Reveal guess(es).
  • Step 5. Place, win or pay a gem.
  • Special 3-Gem Rule
  • Play Example
• Winning the Game: Listen to Your Fortune!
• Solo Play

Object

Be the first player with 5 gems on the gameboard to win and then have Zandar read your fortune.

Contents

Zandar game unit, gameboard, 68 question cards, 4 ASK AGAIN cards, 24 fortune disks, 20 plastic gems, 4 YES/NO tokens.

The First Time You Play

Insert Batteries. Open the battery door on the bottom of the game unit and insert 4 "AA"-size alkaline batteries into the battery compartment, following the illustration in Figure 1. Be sure to match up the "+" and "-" signs with those in the diagram inside the battery compartment. Then replace the battery door.

Figure 1. Push tabs to pull out battery door.

Test Batteries. Test Zandar's batteries by sliding the switch on his base to the "GAME" position as shown in Figure 2. You should hear a crash of thunder and see the ball in Zandar's hand flash with light. If this doesn't happen, the batteries may be weak or improperly installed.

CAUTION: Batteries may leak if improperly installed. Remove batteries when game is not being used for extended periods of time.

Take this time to find out how Zandar works! Wave your hand (both hands, if you like) over the top of the "crystal" ball (see Figure 3). You'll hear a mystical sound and see a flash of light coming from the ball in Zandar's hand. Now wave your hand(s) over Zandar again. You'll hear another mystical sound and this time Zandar will speak as if answering a question. If Zandar does not respond, wave your hand over him again.

Figure 3. Wave your hand over Zandar twice to hear him speak!

Note the switch and button on the base of the game unit. Their functions are described below. Refer to Figure 2.

• Use the "GAME" position of the switch when you start a game with your friends.
• Use the "FORTUNE" position of the switch when someone has won the game and gets to have her fortune read.
• Press the "REPEAT" button whenever you want Zandar to repeat the last thing he's said.

After testing Zandar, slide the switch on his base to "OFF" until it's time to play a game. If you forget to turn off the game unit, Zandar will "remind" you every couple of minutes with a crack of thunder.

NOTE: Be sure the room you play in is not too dark, or Zandar might not be able to "see" your hand.

Set Up the Game

1. Remove the four cards that say "The Wizard Could Be Wrong—Ask Again!" from the two decks of cards. Give one of these cards to each player. Place any extra ASK AGAIN cards out of play. ASK AGAIN cards should be faceup in front of each player.

   Shuffle the remaining cards into one deck and place it facedown within reach of all players.

2. Shuffle the 24 fortune disks, keeping them facedown (fortune-side down). Place a fortune disk facedown on each of the 18 colored circles on the gameboard. Place the six extra disks out of play.

3. Place the Zandar game unit in the center of the gameboard, within reach of all players. Slide the switch on its base to "GAME."

4. Each player selects one color gem to collect. No two players may collect the same color gem. Take one gem of your chosen color and place it in front of you. All players do the same. Place the remaining gems in a pile within reach of all players.

5. Take a YES/NO token and place it in front of you. All players do the same. Place any extra tokens out of play.

6. Choose a player to go first and be the Questioning Player. Play continues clockwise (to the left).

How to Play

On your turn as the Questioning Player, follow these steps:

• Step 1. Draw a card and read a question.
• Step 2. Guess how Zandar will answer.
• Step 3. Ask Zandar your question.
• Step 4. Players reveal guesses.
• Step 5. Place, win or pay a gem.

These five steps are described in detail below.

NOTE: If you have three or more gems at the beginning of your turn, you may do something special! For more on how to do this, be sure to read the SPECIAL 3-GEM RULE on page 5.

Step 1. Draw a card.

Take the top card from the deck. There are two questions on the card. Choose either question to ask Zandar and read it aloud to your friends. At the end of your turn, discard the card faceup next to the draw pile.

Step 2. Guess how Zandar will answer.

How will Zandar answer your question — with a "yes"/positive answer or a "no"/negative answer? Announce what your guess is and turn your YES/NO token so your guess is faceup. You must guess on your turn and everyone gets to see your guess.

Secret Guesses from Other Players. Now any other players may also guess, if they wish, but they must do it secretly, by covering their YES/NO tokens with their hands. Correct guesses will earn them gems, but wrong guesses will cost them gems!

If any other player does not want to guess, she must say so now.

Step 3. Ask Zandar!

After players are ready with their guesses, it's time to Ask Zandar! As the Questioning Player, ask him your question, then wave your hand over him twice to hear his answer. You'll hear a magical sound each time you wave your hand over Zandar. If you don't hear a sound, try again!

Zandar will give a "yes"/positive answer (such as "EXCELLENT CHANCE!" or "ABSOLUTELY!"), or a "no"/negative answer (such as "I DON'T THINK SO!" or "IT'S VERY DOUBTFUL.").

Zandar might say "WHAT WAS THE QUESTION?" If Zandar asks you what the question was, just ask him again!

Zandar might also say "ASK ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS!" If he tells you to ask one of your friends, pick any other player (even a player who has not guessed) and ask her to answer the question. If you ask a player who guessed, she must show you the answer on her token. If you ask a player who has not guessed, she must give you a "yes" or "no" answer. This player's answer counts as Zandar's answer!

Step 4. Reveal guess(es).

Now the players who guessed secretly reveal their YES/NO tokens at the same time. All players whose guesses "match" Zandar's answer ("YES" for a positive answer, "NO" for a negative answer) have guessed correctly! See Step 5 to see what you and the other players do after guesses have been revealed.

ASK AGAIN Cards: If Zandar's answer doesn't match your guess, you can ask him your question again just to make sure! Just announce this to the other players, turn your ASK AGAIN card facedown and Ask Zandar your question again. He might change his mind (or he might not!).

You may play your ASK AGAIN card on another player when it's her turn, and any other player can play hers on you when it's your turn, but:

• You must play your card immediately after players reveal their guesses.
• Only one ASK AGAIN card may be used per turn.

Whenever all players' ASK AGAIN cards are turned facedown, players may all turn them faceup again and re-use them.

Step 5. Place, win or pay a gem.

As the Questioning Player, when you guess correctly:

• If you already have one or more gems in front of you, place one of your gems on any fortune disk on the gameboard. Your turn is over.

NOTE: Don't place more than one of your gems on any one fortune disk! You may, however, place a gem on a disk already occupied by another player's gem.

• If you don't have any gems, take one of your chosen color from the pile and place it in front of you. You may not take a gem from the pile and place it on the gameboard! Your turn is over.

As the Questioning Player, when you guess incorrectly:

• If you have one or more gems in front of you, you must pay one gem to the pile. Your turn is over.
• If you don't have any gems, do nothing. (You never have to take any gems off the gameboard.) Your turn is over.

On your turn, when other players guess correctly:

• If any other player guessed correctly, she wins a gem of her chosen color from the pile.

On your turn, when other players guess incorrectly:

• If any other player guessed incorrectly, she must pay one gem to the pile (if she has one).

Remember, you can only place a gem on the gameboard on your own turn!

Special 3-Gem Rule

If you have at least three gems at the beginning of your turn you may, if you wish, skip Steps 1 through 5. Place one gem on a fortune disk and pay two back to the pile. Since this takes up your whole turn, you do not ask Zandar a question.

Play Example

It's your friend Allison's turn in a 4-player game.

Step 1. Allison takes a card from the top of the deck, chooses a question and announces, "I'm going to ask Zandar if my job will pay a lot of money!"

Step 2. Allison must guess what Zandar's prediction will be. She turns her token so that "YES" is faceup. Now it's time for you, Dawn and Chris to decide if you want to guess, too! You need more gems, so you want to guess! So does Dawn. Chris doesn't want to risk losing a gem, so she decides not to guess.

Hmmmm...will Allison get a nice job that will pay her big bucks? You hope so. Secretly, turn your YES/NO token so that "YES" is faceup. Cover it with your hand so no one else can see it. Dawn also guesses secretly.

Step 3. Allison asks Zandar her question and waves her hand over Zandar, twice. Whoosh! Whoosh! Zandar speaks: "ACCORDING TO MY CRYSTAL BALL...DEFINITELY!"

Step 4. You and Dawn, who guessed secretly, both reveal your tokens.

Step 5. Allison guessed "YES." She already has a gem, so she gets to place it on a fortune disk. You guessed "YES." You get to take a gem of your color from the pile. Dawn guessed "NO." Since she guessed wrong, she must pay one gem to the pile. Chris didn't guess, so she neither wins nor loses a gem.

Allison's turn is now over.

Winning the Game: Listen to Your Fortune!

If you're the first player to get all five of your color gems on the gameboard, you win! You're the lucky player who gets her personal fortune read by Zandar! Follow these steps:

1. Remove the five fortune disks from under your five gems and place them facedown in front of you. Don't look at what's on the other side of the disks yet!

2. Slide the switch on Zandar's base to "FORTUNE." You'll hear a long roar of thunder, Zandar will give you (the winner) a message and then he'll wait for the reading to begin.

3. Now choose one of your five fortune disks and wave it over Zandar twice to hear your fortune. For example, he might say, "YOU WILL GET A PHONE CALL ABOUT THIS!" After Zandar speaks, turn the disk over to see what he was talking about. Your disk reads: A Boy You Like! Continue passing each fortune disk over Zandar and listening to what he says about it. Your friends will help you interpret Zandar's predictions. When you hear a roar of thunder after the fifth reading, the game is over!

NOTE: After the final roar of thunder, you must slide the switch to "OFF" before starting a new game.

Solo Play

For solo play, take the fortune disks and shuffle them. Spread them facedown on a flat surface in front of you. Now select five fortune disks at random, without looking at the other sides. Make sure the switch on the base of the game unit is on "FORTUNE." Follow the rest of the directions under "Winning the Game: Listen to Your Fortune!"

The warranty, repair, mailing and FCC notices on page 6 are not transcribed; they are product boilerplate rather than rules.