Caribe

Caribe Rulebook

Table of Contents

Notable Animals of the Lesser Antilles

Although the Lesser Antilles are composed of small islands, their surrounding seas and coastal wetlands supported a remarkable array of wildlife that drew the attention of 19th century naturalists. Sea turtles — especially the green turtle and the hawksbill — nested on quiet beaches from Antigua to Barbados. Early observers described their nocturnal nesting as "solemn pilgrimages", and many speculated about the mysterious navigational instincts that guided them across vast distances. In sheltered lagoons and salt ponds, flamingos formed striking colonies, their vivid colouration prompting debates among naturalists about whether the hue came from mineral-rich waters or from pigments in their diet. Offshore, sailors frequently encountered dolphins, particularly the bottlenose and the spinner dolphin. These animals often followed ships for long stretches, leaping alongside the bow, and were regarded as signs of abundant marine life. Their coordinated movements and apparent curiosity led several early writers to propose that dolphins possessed unusually complex social behaviour for marine creatures.

Fauna, Flora, and Geology of the Lesser Antilles

The Lesser Antilles form a sweeping volcanic arc, shaped by the slow subduction of the Atlantic Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate. This geological foundation produced dramatic contrasts: towering volcanic peaks on islands such as Dominica and St. Vincent; limestone plateaux on Barbados; and rugged coastlines carved by centuries of wind and surf. These varied landscapes supported an equally diverse natural world. Dense rainforests cloaked the higher elevations, filled with tree ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and towering gommier trees. Lower slopes gave way to dry forests and scrublands where drought-adapted species thrived. The fauna reflected the islands' isolation: numerous endemic reptiles, distinctive bird communities, and rich marine ecosystems surrounding every shore. Coral reefs formed intricate underwater structures, while mangrove forests sheltered fish nurseries and coastal birds. To 19th century naturalists, the Lesser Antilles appeared as a chain of miniature worlds, each with its own geological story and ecological character.

Early Scientific Expeditions and the Flow of Knowledge to Europe

From the late 18th century through the 19th, the Lesser Antilles became an important destination for scientific expeditions sponsored by European academies, botanical gardens, and naval institutions. Naturalists, physicians, cartographers, and collectors travelled through the archipelago documenting plants, animals, minerals, and climatic conditions. Many expeditions relied heavily on local guides, Maroon communities, and indigenous knowledge to navigate forests, identify medicinal plants, and understand seasonal patterns. Specimens gathered during these voyages — pressed plants, mineral samples, preserved animals, and detailed field notes — were shipped back to institutions in London, Paris, Leiden, and Berlin. There, they were catalogued, compared, and incorporated into emerging scientific disciplines such as biogeography, comparative anatomy, and early ecology. The Caribbean collections of figures like Hans Sloane, Patrick Browne, and later 19th century naturalists became foundational references in European universities and museums. Through these exchanges, the Lesser Antilles played a quiet but significant role in shaping the scientific understanding of tropical environments.

Components

1 Game Board
4 Map Tiles — double-sided, each side divided into 16 spaces, labelled A1/A2, B1/B2, C1/C2 and D1/D2
4 Player Boards — 1 per player colour
96 Scientists — 24 per player colour
8 Scoring Markers — 2 per player colour
9 University Cards — 3 per each University: Coimbra, London, Paris
64 Theory Cards
42 Wooden Animals — 14 of each kind: Turtle, Dolphin, Flamingo
12 Knowledge Markers — 4 of each kind: Fauna, Geology, Flora
1 Action Marker
1 Round Marker
1 Bag
25 Coins
15 Compass Markers

Note: Coins and Compass markers are considered unlimited. In the unlikely event that the supply runs out players should use a suitable replacement.

1 First Player Marker
1 Rulebook

Solo Mode:

16 Automa Cards
9 Solo Campaign Cards

Set-Up

Place the game board in the centre of the table.
Take the 4 map tiles. For each map tile, randomly choose one side and arrange the tiles in a 2×2 grid in the middle of the game board. The map tiles may be placed with either side face-up, and in any distribution (e.g. D2, A1, C1, B2), as long as their orientation matches the game board, ensuring all icons and tiles are properly aligned. They should NOT be rotated in any way! Ensure the map tiles line up precisely so that the 8 coordinates (A-H) on the game board correspond to each row and column of the assembled map. Note: For your first game we recommend using map tiles A1, B1, C1 and D1.
Place the action marker on the leftmost action space. Place the round marker on space "1" of the round track.
Place the coins and compass markers within reach of all players.
Dependent upon the number of players place the following numbers of each animal into the bag:
- 2 players: 8 of each
- 3 players: 11 of each
- 4 players: all 14
Randomly draw animals from the bag one at a time. Place each animal onto a sea space with a light blue circle on the map tiles (all spaces without a land icon).
- In a 2-player game, do not place animals on sea spaces marked 2.
- In a 3-player game, do not place animals on sea spaces marked 3.
- In a 4-player game, place animals in all the sea spaces marked 4.
Continue placing from left to right, and top to bottom, until all applicable sea spaces have been filled. Note: After placing all animals, there will be 2 remaining in the bag. Return all unused animals and the bag to the game box, they will not be used in this game.

Game Overview

In Caribe, each player leads a team of Scientists exploring the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.

The game is played over 9 rounds. Each round consists of every player taking one turn in clockwise order.
On their turn, each player selects one action space and performs the associated actions based on the coordinates of the card they have discarded from their hand.
After rounds 3, 6, and 9, players may also attempt to score theory cards from their hand.

After the scoring phase of round 9, the game ends. Players then proceed to final scoring, where they:

Score points for how well their completed theory cards synergise;
Score points for their scientists they have sent to the Universities.

Round And Turn Structure

At the start of each round, the first player advances the round marker (except during the first round). Then, starting from the first player and continuing clockwise, each player takes their turn.

A player's turn starts with two mandatory consecutive steps:

I. Choose An Action Space — Choose an action space placing the action marker on it.

II. Set The Coordinates — Using the coordinates letter (A–H) at the top of one of their hand cards determine the row and column from which their actions may take place. Discard the card from their hand to the theory card discard pile.

Then, the player has two optional steps:

III. Perform Actions — May perform actions as depicted along each row and column selected. The player can only perform one action for each icon shown on their chosen action space. Actions may be performed in any order the player wishes.

IV. Adjacent Actions — May also perform adjacent actions depicted by icons either side of the chosen action space, if they are able to and can pay the required cost.

Finally, the player must take the last step of their turn:

V. Take A Card — Take 1 theory card to make their hand back up to 5 cards. Choosing the card below the action space selected is free. It is possible to select 1 of the adjacent cards by paying the required cost of 1 coin.

After the scoring phase of round 9 the game ends and final scoring takes place.

I. Choose An Action Space

On their turn the player choses 1 of the 5 action spaces on the game board and places the action marker on that spot. Moving the action marker to a different space is free. If the player wishes to keep the action marker on its same space they have to pay 1 coin to the supply to do so.

Each action space shows which actions the player may be able to take if there is a matching icon or animal on their chosen coordinates.

Example: On her turn, Joana moves the action marker onto a chosen action space, in this case the 4th counting from the left.

II. Set The Coordinates

On their turn the player chooses 1 of their 5 theory cards for its coordinates, the letter A–H at the top of the card. This sets the coordinates of the row and column (the same letter) from which their selected actions may take place.

This theory card is then discarded to the pile below the theory card deck beside the game board. All the other card effects are ignored.

Compass Markers

During a player's turn, they may spend 1 or more compass markers to activate additional coordinates on the game board. A compass marker is placed beside the letter for a single row or column, opening up the actions in that row or column, but not both.

It is possible to use more than 1 compass marker to open up additional rows or columns, 1 token per row or column. Players discard any compass markers used at the end of their turn.

Example: Joana selects a theory card from her hand with "G" coordinates. She can now match the icons in that row and column with her selected action space to take her actions. She then chooses to spend 1 compass marker and places it above the "A" column on the game board. This gives her more possible icons to match with from this column. After her actions she discards both the theory card and compass marker used.

III. Perform Actions

The player may perform actions as depicted on the chosen action space. They may perform the indicated type of action once for each icon shown on the chosen action space and can do so in any order they wish. Additionally, if any compass markers have been played they may match icons from the chosen rows or columns providing there are enough icons on the action space to do so. There are two types of actions depicted on the map tiles: Sea Observations and Land Expeditions.

Example: Afonso moves the action marker to the last action space and discards a card from his hand with "H" coordinates. He now has the option to do 1 Sea Observation action and 1 Land Expedition action in that "H" row or column.

Sea Observations

When performing a Sea Observation action the player may collect 1 animal from a sea space within their coordinates on the map tiles. The chosen animal must be located within the coordinates, the row or column indicated by the letter at the top of the discarded theory card, or, in a row or column where a compass marker was played. If there are no animals on those coordinates, the action cannot be performed. After collecting the animal the player places it next to their player board, it is not placed on the animal track.

Example: With his Sea Observation action, Afonso collects 1 Turtle from one of the sea spaces of the row "H" (coordinate of the theory card he played), and places it next to his player board.

Land Expeditions

When performing a Land Expedition action the player places one of their scientists from their supply onto an island space. This space must match the terrain type shown on the chosen action space. The different possibilities are:

Perform 1 Land Expedition on a volcano space.
Perform 1 Land Expedition on a forest space.
Perform 1 Land Expedition on a coastline space.
Perform 1 Land Expedition on a terrain of their choice.

The island space must be located within the coordinates, the row or column indicated by the letter at the top of the discarded theory card, or, in a row or column where a compass marker was played.

Each player may only have 1 scientist of their colour on a given island space. Scientists of different players may occupy the same island space. When placing scientists on an island space, players should place them in a way that does not cover the icons on that space, making it easier for everyone to identify each space and its respective icon.

If it is not possible to place a scientist on a valid island space, either because no such terrain exists within the coordinates, or because all eligible spaces are already occupied by the player's own scientists, then the player does not place a scientist, and the action cannot be performed.

Thematic Note: In this game players do not remove animals from their habitat. Thematically, they are observing animals to record them in their notebooks. Collecting animals from the board is a mechanical representation of this observation. During scoring phases the animals may be placed on the player boards representing the act of drawing the observed animals in their notebooks.

Example: On Afonso's turn, he moves the action marker and selects an action space. The space allows him to perform 2 Land Expeditions on volcano spaces and 1 Land Expedition on a forest space. He begins by playing a theory card from his hand with the coordinates "E", allowing him to perform expeditions on that row and column. He places his first scientist on a volcano space and his second on a forest space. When he tries to place his third scientist on a volcano space he sees there are no available volcano spaces left on row or column "E".

If a player cannot perform a Land Expedition because they have no available scientists in their supply, they may retrieve them from their player board. The player removes the rightmost scientist from the track that matches the terrain type of the island space.

Example: Since there are no more available volcano spaces on row or column "E" Afonso decides to open a new coordinate by spending and placing a compass marker on the game board. He chooses to open row "G" allowing him to place a third scientist on a volcano where he doesn't yet have a scientist. As he doesn't have any more scientists in his supply he retrieves the rightmost scientist from the red volcano track on their player board and place it on the volcano island space.

IV. Adjacent Actions

Beside each action space, to the left and right, there are Adjacent Actions options available. By paying the cost of 1 coin the player may perform the additional action to the left 1 time. The same applies to the right, 1 coin for 1 additional action. Any adjacent actions can only be taken from within the player's selected coordinates as chosen by the theory card, or, in a row or column where a compass marker has been played.

The different Adjacent Actions that can be found next each action space are:

1 additional Sea Observation;
1 additional Land Expedition, on a terrain type of the player's choice;
Gain 1 compass marker.

Example: By choosing this action space, Joana can perform 2 Land Expeditions on forest spaces and 1 Land Expedition on a coastline space. Joana decides to pay 1 coin to perform 1 additional Sea Observation. By paying another coin she also performs 1 additional Land Expedition on a terrain of her choice. All actions are taken by her on the coordinates "A", as per the theory card she has played.

V. Take A Card

The player ends their turn by refilling their hand to 5 cards by taking 1 of the face-up theory cards from the bottom of the game board. Choosing the card below the action space with the action marker is free. Alternatively, one of the adjacent cards may be selected by paying the cost of 1 coin. If the action marker is at the first or last action space the player will only have 1 adjacent card available to them.

After taking a theory card the player draws 1 card from the deck to refill the empty space. Shuffle the discard pile of theory cards to create a new deck if necessary.

Example: After performing her turn, Joana takes the card under the space with the action marker, which is free. If she took either of the two adjacent cards, she would have to pay 1 coin.

Round End

After all players have finished their turn the round ends. At the end of rounds 3, 6 and 9 a scoring phase takes place. Otherwise, the first player advances the round marker and begins the next round. After the scoring phase of round 9 the game ends and final scoring takes place, see End Game And Final Scoring.

Scoring Phase (after rounds 3, 6 and 9)

There is a scoring phase at the end of rounds 3, 6, and 9 and players may score theory cards from their hand:

To score a theory card the player must fully satisfy all the card's requirements. Players may score any number of theory cards from their hand during each scoring phase. Scored theory cards are then placed face-up beside the player board.

Theory cards may be scored in any order, but the player must take any bonuses earned by each card before moving on to the next one. Any bonus requiring the payment of a coin is optional.

When placing scored theory cards players may choose to combine them with previously scored theory cards to form a complete book. A complete book consists of 1 "left-page" theory card and 1 "right-page" theory card placed together, and, additionally, at least 1 of the knowledge icons – Fauna, Geology or Flora – in the middle of the book is whole.

Once a book has been completed it cannot be changed for the remainder of the game.

Only the theory cards scored during the current scoring phase may be paired with other scored cards. They can also be used to start a new book that may be completed in a future scoring phase.

To speed up the game players may score their theory cards simultaneously since the bonuses gained during this phase do not affect other players and therefore do not need to be resolved in turn order.

At the end of the first two scoring phases, each player draws theory cards from the deck to refill their hand to 5 cards. Shuffle the discard pile to create a new deck if necessary. After drawing cards the first player marker is passed to the player with the fewest points. In the case of a tie the new first player is the tied player who is furthest ahead in turn order from the previous first player.

In rare cases in 2- or 3-player games, if the deck and discard pile of theory cards are both empty, shuffle the unused theory cards set aside during set-up to form a new deck.

Theory Card Requirements And Bonuses

The requirements to score a theory card depends upon their type, of which there are 3: Animal Cards, Scientist Cards, Scientist Quadrant Cards.

Animal Cards

To score a theory on an Animal card the player must have previously collected the required number and type of animals indicated on the card, as already stored beside their player board.

Once scored each animal indicated on the theory card is placed on the track matching its type on the player board, filling the spaces from left to right. The player immediately scores the number of points shown on each space where an animal has been placed, moving their score marker on the game board scoring track (see Scoring Track). If there is no available space on the player board to place the animal the player scores 1 point and the animal is removed from the game.

Example: To score this theory card, Inês takes 1 Turtle and 2 Flamingos she had previously collected and places them on to her player board.

The player board provides bonuses for collecting animals. If a connection is made between 2 animals the bonus is immediately gained. The different bonuses are:

Gain the indicated amount of coins;
Gain the indicated amount of points;
Perform 1 or 2 additional Land Expedition actions anywhere on the game board where the player does not already have a scientist;
Advance the indicated knowledge marker 1 space to the right (see Knowledge Track).

Finally, gain the bonuses shown at the bottom of the theory card. Players must take any bonuses earned by each card before moving on to scoring further theory cards. The different bonuses are:

Gain the indicated amount of coins;
Gain 1 compass marker;
Advance the indicated knowledge marker 1 or 2 spaces to the right.

Example: At the end of round 6 players perform a scoring phase. Inês decides to score 1 Animal card from her hand. That theory card requires her to have 1 turtle and 2 dolphins, which she does. She places the required animals on to her player board and scores 2 points. Placing the turtle connects 2 animals for a bonus which she earns immediately. The bonus allows her to perform 1 Land Expedition on a terrain of her choice, and she chooses to place a scientist on a coastline space. Next, Inês places the 2 dolphins. Placing the first dolphin gains her 1 point and the second 2 points. Placing the second dolphin connects 2 more animals for a bonus 1 coin. She then collects the bonus indicated at the bottom of the theory card gaining 1 coin and advancing her fauna knowledge marker 1 space along her knowledge track.

Scientist Cards

To score a theory on a Scientist card the player removes from the game board the number of their scientists from the specified terrain type as required by the card.

Each scientist removed from the game board is placed on the corresponding track on the player board, filling the spaces from left to right. The player immediately scores the number of points shown on each space where a scientist has been placed.

Example: To score this theory card Inês must remove from the game board 2 of her scientists from forest spaces and 2 from coastline spaces.

The player board provides bonuses for collecting scientists. If 2 scientists surround a bonus, it is immediately gained. The different bonuses are:

Gain the indicated amount of coins;
Advance the indicated knowledge marker 1 space to the right (see Knowledge Track).

If there is no available space on the player board to place the scientist the player scores 1 point and the scientist is returned to the player's supply.

Finally, gain the bonuses shown at the bottom of the theory card. Players must take any bonuses earned by each card before moving on the the next one. The different bonuses are:

Gain the indicated amount of coins;
Gain 1 compass marker;
Advance the indicated knowledge marker 1 or 2 spaces to the right;
Optionally, send the scientist on the rightmost space of the corresponding track to the indicated University by paying 1 coin (see Sending Scientists To Universities).

Example: Inês decides to score a second card which requires 2 of her scientists from forest spaces and 2 from coastline spaces. She removes 2 scientists from forest spaces and 2 from coastline spaces. She places 2 scientists on the forest track, scoring 5 points. By doing so she surrounds 2 bonuses earning both immediately: 1 coin and 1 advance of her Geology knowledge marker. Next, she places the 2 coastline scientists, scoring 4 additional points. These also surrounds 2 more bonuses: 1 coin and 1 coin. Finally, she collects the bonuses shown on the card: gaining 1 compass marker and she may pay 1 coin to send her rightmost forest scientist to Coimbra University.

Scientist Quadrant Cards

To score a theory on a Scientist Quadrant card the player removes from the game board the number of their scientists from the specified area as required by the card. This area consists of 1 or more map tiles, and the type of terrain does not matter.

Each scientist removed from the game board must be placed on the corresponding track (matching the island space it came from) on the player board, filling the spaces from left to right. The player immediately scores the number of points shown on each space where a scientist has been placed.

Bonuses for collecting scientists are earned in the same way as detailed in the Scientist Card section. Similarly, bonuses on the bottom of the theory card are as previously detailed with one additional bonus: optionally, send the scientist on the rightmost space of the track of the player's choice to the matching University by paying 1 coin (see Sending Scientists To Universities).

Example: To score this theory card Joana needs to remove from the game board 3 of her scientists from the top left map tile.

Sending Scientists To Universities

In most cases the bonus on the theory card specifies to which university the scientist should be sent. The player must take a scientist from the corresponding track. In other cases the player may choose the scientist and send it to the matching University.

In all cases the scientist to be moved must be the rightmost scientist on the matching track and the player must pay 1 coin. The scientist is then placed on the matching University space on the game board.

Only scientists from the corresponding tracks can be sent to Universities, those that couldn't be placed because the track was full are not permitted to be sent. Scientists can only be sent to the University matching the track they will come from.

When placing a scientist at a university the player immediately gains the bonus associated with that University. The different types of bonuses are:

Coimbra University Bonus — Perform 1 additional Land Expedition action anywhere on the game board;
London University Bonus — Advance either the Geology or the Flora knowledge marker 1 space to the right along the knowledge track;
Paris University Bonus — Score 1 point and gain 1 compass marker.

Example: During her scoring of the 2nd theory card Inês decides to pay 1 coin to send her rightmost forest (Coimbra) scientist to Coimbra University. She pays the coin and places the scientist in Coimbra University earning the placement bonus allowing her to perform 1 Land Expedition action on a terrain of her choice anywhere on the game board.

Complete Book

When placing scored theory cards from their hand players may choose to combine them with previously scored theory cards to form a complete book. A complete book will consist of one left-page theory card and one right-page theory card placed together, and, additionally, at least one of the knowledge icons – Fauna, Geology or Flora – is whole. Once a complete book has been formed it cannot be changed for the remainder of the game.

Only theory cards scored during the current Scoring Phase may be paired with other open scored cards. They can also be used to start a new book that it may be possible to complete in future scoring phases.

Example: Inês places her scored theory cards next to her player board. She must now decide whether to use the scored cards to form complete books or to leave them open to complete later. She could pair the newly scored "C" theory card with card "H", which she scored in a previous scoring phase, but that combination would create only 1 connection. Instead, she chooses to combine the 2 theory cards she scored this scoring phase, which creates 2 connections: 1 Fauna connection and 1 Flora connection. Now that the book is complete it cannot be changed for the rest of the game.

Scoring Track

Whenever a player scores points they advance their scoring marker along the score track on the game board. If the scoring marker completes a full lap advance the second scoring marker one step to the right on the 0/50/100/150/200 points track.

Knowledge Track

Each player has a knowledge track on their player board with 3 knowledge markers.

These markers advance 1 or 2 steps to the right, depending on the bonus earned from a scored theory card, or the player board bonus for collecting animals or scientists.

The White Points shown below each step of the knowledge track are not scored immediately. Instead, these act as a multiplier for final scoring (see End Game and Final Scoring).

If a player earns a knowledge marker advance and it is already at the furthest point along the knowledge track (worth 5 white points) the player immediately scores 1 point per each step gained instead.

End Game And Final Scoring

After completing the 9th round scoring phase the game ends and players proceed to calculate the final scoring. In addition to the points players scored during the game they will add points from the following 3 final scoring categories:

Scoring Universities

For each University, players score points by multiplying the number of their scientists currently at that University on the game board by the number of elements required by that University that they have earned.

Coimbra – Green — Players score points by multiplying the number of their scientists at Coimbra University on the game board by the white points value of the knowledge marker on their player board indicated on the University card.
London – Red — Players score points by multiplying the number of their scientists at London University on the game board by the number of scientists they have placed on the track indicated on the University card.
Paris – Yellow — Players score points by multiplying the number of their scientists at Paris University by the number of animals on their player board of the type indicated on the University card.

Scoring Theory Books

Players score their completed books. A complete book will consist of 1 left-page theory card and 1 right-page theory card placed together, and, additionally, at least 1 of the knowledge icons – Fauna, Geology or Flora – in the middle of the book is whole.

For each whole icon on a book the player gains points equal to the white points value of the knowledge marker on their player board.

Scoring Remaining Elements

Players score 1 point for every 3 of the following elements they have in total:

Animals collected beside the player board but not placed on it;
Scientists still on the game board;
Coins;
Compass markers.

After totaling all points, the player with the most points is the winner.

Tiebreakers:

If there is a tie the winner is the tied player who has the most whole knowledge icons on their scored theory cards.
If the tie persists the winner is the tied player with the most scientists beside the University Cards on the game board.
If the tie still persists the winner is the tied player who has the most animals plus scientists on their player board.

In the rare case that the tie cannot be broken all the tied players share the victory.

Example: Inês has scored 70 points during the game. She now evaluates the remaining final scoring categories. She begins with the Universities. At Coimbra University she has 2 scientists, and the required knowledge type is Fauna, which are worth 3 white points, giving her 6 points. At London University, she has 1 scientist, and has placed 3 scientists on the coastline track, so she scores 3 points. At Paris University, she has 1 scientist and 5 turtles, the required animal type so she scores 5 points. Altogether, she scores 14 points from the Universities.

Next she scores her completed Theory Books. Inês has completed 3 books and now scores the whole icons on them based on the white points of her knowledge markers. She has 3 whole Fauna icons and her Fauna knowledge marker is worth 3 points so she scores 9 points. She has 2 whole Geology icons with her Geology knowledge marker worth 4 points giving her 8 additional points. Finally, she has 1 whole Flora icon and her Flora knowledge marker is worth 2 points giving her 2 more points. In total Inês scores 19 points from her Theory Books.

Finally, she evaluates her leftover elements. She has 2 coins, 1 compass marker, 2 scientists still on the game board, and 2 unplaced animals, for a total of 7 leftover elements, which score her 2 additional points (1 point per 3 leftover elements).

Adding everything together Inês finishes with 105 points: 70 points scored during the game plus 14 points from Universities, 19 points from Theory Books and 2 points for remaining elements.

Solo Mode

In the solo mode, you will be facing Sir Percival (Percy), a rival scientist seeking to take credit for the most coveted discoveries in the Caribbean.

There are three different modes of solo play:

You vs Percy — Play a single game against Percy, an automa that acts as a regular player and scores points. To win, you must outscore Percy.
Beat Your Own Score (BYOS) — Play a single game facing a simplified version of Percy, who will not score, but will affect your options during the game. At the end of the game, see how you performed against a merit table.
Solo Campaign vs Percy or BYOS — Play a series of games in which you seek to score and complete goals. You can play a campaign either as a You vs Percy or BYOS series of solo games.

Additional Components: 16 Automa Cards; 9 Solo Campaign Cards (only for the Solo Campaign).

You vs Percy

Set-Up

Set up the game for 2 players using a different colour for you and Percy but do not deal any theory cards to Percy. Shuffle the Automa deck and place it face-down within reach.

Gameplay

The solo mode is played over nine rounds, just as in the multiplayer game. Every round Percy plays first and you next. You play your turns as usual.

Percy's Turn

On Percy's turn, draw the top card from the Automa deck and resolve it following the instructions on the card.

To resolve a card, perform these actions in order:

Select an action space
Land Expeditions
Sea Observations

Use the Priority section to determine where to place scientists on the map, as detailed in the Land Expeditions section, or from where to remove animals from the map, as detailed in the Sea Observations section.

1. Select An Action Space

Place the action marker on the action space indicated on Percy's card. Then, take the theory card from that space and place it beside Percy's board. Percy does not pay coins when the action marker stays in the same action space.

2. Land Expeditions

If the automa card does not show terrain icons next to the scientist ignore this section. Otherwise, for each icon shown, place one of Percy's scientists on a matching space on the map, as described below. The icons must be resolved in order from left to right.

The direction of the arrows shown in the Priority section of the card indicates whether you are going to scan rows (horizontal arrows) or columns (vertical arrows) to find the matching terrain types. The letter on the card taken from the Action space indicates the starting row or column.

Using the letter at the top of the theory card locate the starting row or column depending on whether the arrows are horizontal (row), or vertical (column). Then, start at the border of the map and follow the arrows until you find the first space with matching terrain and no Percy scientists. If you do not find any matching space on that row (or column), proceed to the neighbouring row (or column) as indicated by the smaller arrows. If you reach the edge of the map you may "wrap" around to the opposite edge, starting in the corresponding row or column on the other side. Once you identify the correct space place one of Percy's scientists there.

If the Automa card shows a wild terrain icon, place a scientist on the first available island space with no Percy scientists, regardless of terrain. Pay 1 coin to do so if applicable.

Repeat the process described above until 1 of Percy's scientists has been placed for each terrain icon shown. If Percy has already placed scientists on every space of the type of terrain shown will this be impossible and the action is forfeited.

Example: The theory card taken from the action space shows the letter B. The Automa card shows 2 volcano and 1 forest space in the Land Expedition section, and arrows pointing downwards. Therefore, Percy starts at the topmost space in column B and checks the available spaces of matching terrain downwards in that column. He places a scientist on the first available volcano and forest spaces. He still needs another available volcano space to place the third scientist. The smaller arrows on the Automa card are to the left of the larger arrow, and so Percy must check columns leftwards, always from top to bottom. There are no volcano spaces without Percy's scientists on in columns A, H, and G. The next available volcano space is in column F and Percy places his third scientist there.

3. Sea Observations

If the automa card does not show any animals ignore this section. Otherwise, take the matching animals from the map using the procedure detailed in the previous section. Some animals will cost Percy 1 coin; he cannot take the animal if he has no coins. If an animal shown is no longer on the map the action is forfeited.

Example: Using the previous example the Automa card shows a dolphin that costs 1 coin. Percy starts scanning the map at the top of column B. As there are no dolphins there he proceeds to column A, takes the dolphin from the top space, and places it next to his player board. Finally, he pays the 1 coin.

Scoring Phase

At the end of rounds 3, 6, and 9, a scoring phase takes place. You score points as in a multiplayer game.

Percy scores as follows:

Place any collected animals on the matching tracks on his player board and score the points indicated on the spaces you filled, as in the standard rules.

Remove all of Percy's scientists from the map placing them on the matching tracks on his player board, and score the points indicated on the spaces you filled. Place any excess scientists on the matching University and score 1 victory point for each.

Example: In the Scoring Phase, Percy takes his 6 scientists from the Forest spaces and places them on the corresponding track on his player board. He scores 11 VPs for the 5 scientists on his player board. As the track only holds 5 the 6th scientist is moved to the matching University, and Percy scores an additional 1 VP.

If Percy gains any bonuses by pairing animals and/or scientists on the tracks, he takes the corresponding coins or compass markers. Advance the matching knowledge markers, as usual. Ignore any bonus related to wild terrain icons.

Then, Percy gains the bonuses indicated at the bottom of the last 3 theory cards collected from Percy's last 3 turns, such as advancing on the knowledge track, gaining coins, and/or compass markers. Ignore any sending scientists to the Universities bonuses.

After completing the 9th round scoring phase the game ends and players proceed to calculate the final scoring. In addition to the points scored during the game Percy scores the following:

Score Percy's scientists at the Universities as usual.

For each knowledge marker type, add together the number of half icons shown on the collected theory cards, then divide by 2, rounding down. These are Percy's multipliers to use for Scoring Theory Books using the 3 knowledge track markers.

Add together any coins and compasses, scoring 1 point for every 3 items.

Example: Percy collected cards showing 8 Fauna, 5 Geology, and 5 Flora half-icons. He divides these by 2, rounding down, obtaining 4 Fauna, 2 Geology, and 2 Flora. To calculate his knowledge score, he then multiplies these values by the value of the corresponding knowledge marker. Fauna: 4×4 = 16 points; Geology: 2×4 = 8 points; Flora: 2×3 = 6 points, for a total of 30 points.

End of the Game

After the scoring phase in the 9th round, the game ends. If you scored more points than Percy, you beat your rival scientist and win the game.

Difficulty Level

In the base solo game explained above, Percy's scoring marker starts on the '0' space: this is the Normal level. For an increased challenge, you can adjust the difficulty of the game by giving Percy a head start during setup:

Hard — Start Percy's scoring marker on space "15" of the scoring track.
Expert — Start Percy's scoring marker on space "30" of the scoring track.

Beat Your Own Score (BYOS)

Set-Up

Percy does not use any components other than the Automa deck: shuffle it and place it face-down within reach. He will not place any scientists but will remove animals from the game board.

Percy's Turn

On Percy's turn, draw the top card from the Automa deck and select the action as in the You vs Percy mode. Then, remove the theory card and any animals indicated on the automa card from the game, ignoring the 1 coin cost.

At the end of rounds 3, 6, and 9, a scoring phase takes place which only you score as usual.

End of Game and Scoring

The game ends immediately after your scoring phase in the 9th round. Determine your score as usual and check the table below to see how you performed!

Score	Your achievement
> 125	Your name will be forever associated with the amazing discoveries in the Caribbean
100–125	Your contribution to scientific advancement is noteworthy
75–99	A small animal is named after you
< 75	Your discoveries have been deemed irrelevant

Solo Campaign vs Percy or BYOS

You can play a Campaign composed of a series of You vs Percy or BYOS games. To progress from one game to another, you must comply with two conditions:

A. Beat Percy in a "You vs Percy" game, or, score above the difficulty threshold in a "BYOS" game.
B. Complete at least 1 campaign goal.

If you do not meet both conditions you lose that game, but you still have a second attempt to pass the campaign by playing again. If you lose 2 games you are defeated in this campaign. If you complete the number of goals corresponding to the campaign length chosen, you win!

Set-Up

Prepare the game for either a You vs Percy or BYOS game.

Then, perform the following additional steps:

Choose the difficulty level

You vs Percy — Starting Scoring marker space BYOS — Score to beat
Normal 0 75
Hard 15 100
Expert 30 125
Choose the campaign length

Length Number Of Campaign Goals
Short 3
Normal 6
Long 9
Set up the Campaign cards

	You vs Percy — Starting Scoring marker space	BYOS — Score to beat
Normal	0	75
Hard	15	100
Expert	30	125

Length	Number Of Campaign Goals
Short	3
Normal	6
Long	9

Gameplay

Play your first game, as usual, and determine your score.

Then, check whether you meet both of the following conditions:

A. You beat Percy (You vs Percy) or your score is higher than the score to beat (BYOS) for the difficulty level you have chosen.
B. You have completed one or more of the face-up Campaign Goals.

If you meet both conditions the game is complete and you may progress with the campaign. Flip all campaign cards you completed. Flipped goals are no longer available for the remainder of the campaign.

If you do not meet both conditions you lose that game, but you still have a second attempt to pass by playing again. If you lose 2 games you are defeated in this campaign. Continue playing until you are defeated or are declared victorious by fulfilling the number of goals required for the difficulty level chosen.

Example Campaign Goals include: having 6 / 5 / 4 scientists at the matching University; having 5 of each animal on your player board; having 5 scientists on each terrain type on your player board; having 5 completed books; having the knowledge marker shown on the last space of your knowledge track.